Titus 1 The God of Order Part 9


Titus 1:5

“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.” ESV

God is a god of order. There is order in all creation because He is a God of consistent, complex and detailed design, intent and orderliness. Right from the beginning of creation God set in place an order for how things function and are done. Science very clearly shows the order He set in nature; there are patterns and laws to how things are made and how they function. Job 25:2 (NIV) says, “Dominion and awe belong to God; He establishes order in the heights of the heaven.” The laws of science and physics can be seen throughout all creation and all things have a set and orderly way of functioning. Our bodies, for example, are intricately created so that all parts have a set purpose. Because man sinned, chaos and brokenness came into all of creation, causing things to go wrong. When one little part of our body doesn’t function the way it’s supposed to then there are consequences and we can get sick.

We live in a fallen and broken world that we brought chaos and disorder to. 1 Corinthians14:33 (NIV) says, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace – as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.” Chaos and confusion are the opposite of, and go against, God’s prescribed order. Just as He set up the Twelve Tribes, each with their own place and order, and just as He dictated the laws and sacrifices of the Old Testament, so, too, He sets in place an order for our lives. We must seek to learn God’s order for everything, and we do this by searching the scriptures and putting His commands into practice. Paul writes to Titus that he might “put what remained into order” (Titus 1:5 ESV). He goes on to establish an order and structure for how elders are to be chosen and how they function within the church. We need to be an orderly people and as we continue in the book of Titus we’ll see that Paul will also tell us the roles, not only of elders, but of men and women in their positions and families.

Because we know God is consistent, we can trust His immovable love and grace. He is not like us, swayed by emotions that go up and down; He does not waiver. He even set a plan and order for our salvation. Because He is consistent and orderly there were consequences to our fall into sin. But rest assured that His constant love also caused Him to send His Son to pay for those sins, and He sent the Holy Spirit to help us live our lives in accordance with the order He has set forth and to help us live as citizens of God’s eternal kingdom. There was a plan, He set it in place, and He follows through.

Because God has set forth order, we must be an orderly people. There should be order and structure to how the church functions, and to how we do things in our personal lives and relationships. 1 Corinthians 14:40 (NIV) says, “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” So, take the time to get to know God’s order. Search the scriptures and put into practice that which He commands. Try to live your life in an orderly way, not with chaos and confusion, but trusting in the plan that God has for you.

 

1.        In Exodus 20 God gives the Israelites the 10 commandments but following are a number of chapters that talk about more specific laws. What sort of things did God set in place for the people of Israel?

2.        The book of Genesis tells us about creation, can you see an order to how He created things? What does God tell Adam to do with creation?

3.        If we are to be an orderly people, our lives must not be chaotic. What things can we set in place to keep our lives from getting too chaotic?

4.        Where in the New Testament can we see more about keeping order?

5.        When looking at the Trinity we can see an order to how it functions, what are the things that each God of the Trinity is responsible for?

Gracious God of order and perfect design; I come before You now to praise You for the beauty in Your design and plan for me. Thank-you for Your constant and consistent love towards me. Help me to search Your word and follow the order that You have set forth, not living in chaos, but trusting in Your grand design. Forgive me by Your grace, through Christ Jesus and the working of the Holy Spirit, Amen

Comments

  1. KendraNovember 22, 2024 at 10:46 PM

    I like that you focused on the word order and its opposite - chaos. I think in a busy society in this part of the world it is easy for our lives to become chaotic or ‘noisy’, not leaving time for peaceful reflection. God can speak to us at any time but we have to be listening for him, and it’s really easy to forget that (just look at what time I finally came to read this). It’s really comforting that God is consistent and does not get distracted like we do.

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